The greatest test of courage on the earth is to bear defeat without Losing heart. — R. G. Ingersoll Spirit is a fragile thing. Mine is strong and fresh in the morning. The day wears on it, rubbing it, thinning it, scrapping it until it is merely threads. I get in my car and begin the restoration. I drive in silence, listening to the hum of tires on the road. I clear my mind of the poison. Thoughts that question my worth, my beliefs, my ability. I breathe deep and remember. Choice… Read more courage (soLs) →
It holdspeanut butterbananascoffeegum It holdscolorful platesspatulassharp knivesmugs It holdslittle gigglessweet secretsbig dreamslove It holdsme. Click on the image to share yourslice or to read others.
I could write about how much I miss my parents since they are traveling through the west for a few weeks. It’s not so much about not seeing them, rather it’s just that they aren’t here and aren’t able to talk on the phone much. I could slice about rolling my own pie dough from scratch in less than 30 minutes. Perhaps I’ve arrived. It made me feel closer to my mom. Maybe I should write about our 100 Book Celebration and the two hours of sheer joy in the… Read more i’m not sure what to slice (soLs) →
In the past few days, we have processed 350 pounds of tomatoes. My friend Tricia and I made spaghetti sauce, tomato juice, crushed tomatoes, and salsa with 200 pounds of… Read more 350 pounds (soLs) →
Oh my! Can I just say I am now a huge believer in writing retreats? I wasn’t sure if it would make that big of a difference in my writing life. I have a solid writing habit, and I feel productive as a writer. I wasn’t sure if it was worth juggling schedules, hiring babysitters, and packing a suitcase. I couldn’t have been more wrong. My list was ambitious. Although I didn’t complete it all, there were many unexpected ways my writing life was nourished. So a little recap. (Well,… Read more writing life update →
Ahh…internet service! Ours was zapped by lightening last Friday and won’t be fixed until later this week. Ahh….I just drove five hours to arrive at a secluded little place in the middle of big trees. It’s a Choice Literacy Writing Retreat. “What exactly are you doing, Mom?” Hannah asked before I left. “Writing Camp,” I responded.“Lucky,” she said. Lucky, indeed. I think it only fitting to begin the retreat with a blog post. In the next three days I’ll have lots of time and space to write. What are my… Read more ahhh…(soLs) →
Anyone who knows me knows I don’t count days. As I go about my routine time gets lost. Right now, in fact, I’m not sure if today is the 12th… Read more four days and four hours and thirty-four minutes (soLs) →
I feel like this space has been neglected. However, in an effort to continue to focus on what I can do and not what I’m not doing, here’s the run… Read more neglected? (soLs) →
Today we have been married thirteen years. It’s easy to think about everything that’s changed, but I wanted to take a moment to remember the things that have stayed the same. It has been a challenge to generate a list of sameness. Life is so much different than it was 13 years ago. But there is this. He has these eyes, smokey gray, but sometimes green, blue, hazel, light, or dark. Their color change is expected. It was the first thing I loved about him. Those chameleon eyes. It is their… Read more ruth + andy = 13 years (soLs) →
Ruth Ayres Writes 